The Halloween Party
by Hino Kuragari
Summary: Squinoa! In the spirit of All Hallows Eve! R/R and enjoy! No flames please!


The Halloween Party  
By: Riley Lockheart  
Disclaimer: I obviously don't own these characters, the fine people at Square do. Enjoy the story! R/R no flames please!  
  
Squall Leonhart stood quietly in a shadowy doorway in the costume shop waiting for his friends to finish shopping. (I can't believe I'm standing here...) he thought. (How embarrassing!)  
"Yo, Squall! What d'ya think?" Zell Dincht stood before him in a chocobo costume. His face could be seen smiling brightly through the chocobo's mouth   
"Do I know you?" Squall asked, hoping his friend in the yellow feathers would walk away.  
"Ha ha, very funny! It's not that bad, is it?" Zell asked, turning a little red. Squall just rolled his eyes and leaned against the doorframe. "Alright, I'll get something else!" Zell flapped his yellow, feathered wings and walked back to the fitting rooms.  
"Now I remember why I hate Halloween." Squall muttered. "People having absolutely no problem with making complete fools of themselves."  
"Hey, Squall!" Rinoa Heartilly strode over to him in a traditional Centra gown. It was deep crimson with black lace in the front triangle from the lower chest to the floor. Two ribbons came down from a bow at the top, and twisted in the air as she twirled toward him. "How do I look?" she asked.  
"You look... um... perfect." Squall said shyly. "But it's missing something." He scanned the shelves of hats, crowns, and wigs and stopped when he saw a small silver tiara with a ruby teardrop hanging from the center. He went to the shelf and carefully took down the tiara and placed it perfectly on Rinoa's head. "There," he said. "Now you're perfect, Your Highness."  
"Thank you, Sir Squall." She giggled. "I'm going to go pay for this." She turned from him and skipped away. Squall stared after her as she gracefully made her way through the racks of costumes. He had liked her for awhile, since before she became a sorceress. He never told her of course, but every time she talked to him, said his name, or even looked at him in that way she always did, he melted.  
"Squall!" Selphie Tilmitt came bouncing over in her little yellow sundress.  
(When is this going to end?) he thought to himself.  
"Hey! Where's your costume?" she asked, disappointment apparent on her usually cheerful face. "You need one, ya know! It's not Halloween without a costume! C'mon we'll get you one!" Selphie dragged Squall over to a rack of Ancient Centra costumes. "Here!" She thrust a full metal costume at Squall.  
"What's this?" he asked, kind of disgusted.  
"Duh! It's a knight costume! Don't you want to be Rinoa's knight in shining armor!?" Selphie held up the flimsy aluminum sword, and looked at it with bright eyes. "And you can use your own!"  
"My own what?" He asked, rather disinterested.  
"Gunblade, silly! Here! Go pay for it!"  
"Selphie! But-" he tried to protest, but she just gave him a good shove.  
"Just do it! Please, for Rinoa? You know you like her!" Squall couldn't argue with this, so he turned on his heel and went to the counter.  
~~~~~~~~~  
"I can't believe I allowed myself to be dragged into this." Squall muttered as he stood before the mirror in his costume. "So what if Rinoa doesn't have a knight? She wasn't expecting one anyway, but I guess it would be a nice surprise for her.... It might even give me a chance with her...." He studied himself carefully in the mirror. "She'll probably think I look like a moron."  
Squall turned from the mirror, and he let himself drop onto his bed. He carefully took off his costume and changed back into his clothes. "Hey, Squall! The party's starting!" yelled Selphie from outside his dorm. Squall slowly got up from his bed and opened the door. Selphie and Rinoa were on the other side in full costume.  
(Wow! Rinoa looks amazing!) He thought. He gazed at her wearing her beautiful scarlet gown; her hair was down with a braid wrapping elegantly around her head. Two curled tendrils framed her face and the tiara gave it the perfect touch. She looked like a princess.  
"Squall? Are you alright?" Rinoa asked.  
Squall broke from his trance. "Uh... yeah. I'm not going to go, guys."  
"Why?" Rinoa asked, disappointed. "It won't be the same without you! You have to go!"  
"Yeah! No one will be able o have any fun if you're not there!" Selphie protested.  
"I'm just not feeling up to it. I got a... headache. Yeah, a headache."  
"Maybe I should stay." Rinoa said with genuine concern.  
Squall carefully considered this offer, but shook his head. "No, you guys go and have fun. Maybe I'll be there later."  
"Fine, but we won't have any fun." Selphie bounced off down the hall.  
"Feel better, okay. I'll come see how you're doing in a little while." Rinoa gave him a wink and shut the door.  
~~~~~~~~~  
Rinoa stood against the wall in the ballroom, watching all the couples dance the night away. Zell and Quistis looked cute together. Zell had finally decided on a costume fitting Quistis' choice: Tin Man and Glinda from the Wizard of Oz. They were cute, but a bit strange looking.  
Selphie and Irvine were definitely a cute cowboy and cowgirl. Especially fitting for Irvine, and Selphie would go along with almost anything. Rinoa giggled to herself as she watched.  
Squall stood in the doorway to the ballroom, scanning for his friends. (Admit it, Squall,) he thought to himself. (you're not looking for them, you're looking for Rinoa.) He scanned the crowd, his eyes stopping on the gorgeous figure in the scarlet gown standing against the wall. "Rinoa..."  
Rinoa's eyes drifted up toward the doorway. When she saw Squall her eyes lit up and she smiled at him.  
(She can really light up a room with that smile...) Squall thought. He started walking toward her, but she was in front of him before she could take two steps.  
"You're here!" she said brightly.  
"Yeah, I was feeling better so I decided to come keep you company."  
"Great, I was getting kinda lonely. I love your costume!" she beamed.  
"Thank you. Care to dance, milady?" Squall bowed and extended his hand in a courtly fashion.  
"I'd love to, good sir." Rinoa took his hand as he led the way to the dance floor. "You're quite the gentleman tonight" Riley noted as they assumed dancing position.  
"Well, I figured a sorceress needs a knight, and since I wasn't doing anything I thought I'd offer my services." He said shyly.  
"I'm glad you did. So... do you think with all of your knightly duties you might have time for a girl?" Rinoa asked shyly, looking at her feet.  
"What are you saying, Rin?" Squall inquired nervously.  
"I was just thinking about how everyone's pairing off and then I thought about you."  
"Me?" he asked, feeling himself begin to sweat under the aluminum of his costume.  
"Yes, and I thought of how much I like you. Then I asked myself a question." She said, still looking down thoughtfully.  
"What kind of question?"  
"Why aren't we together, Squall?" she asked, looking into his eyes. "We make sense, don't we?"  
"You like me?" Squall asked, trying to conceal his excitement, but failed miserably. "That's great! I kinda like you too. I actually really like you."  
Rinoa giggled at how out of character Squall was acting. "So what does this mean?"  
"Since everyone else has paired off maybe... um... we should, too... I guess." Squall said as nonchalantly as he could.  
"Only if you want to...." She said just above a whisper.   
"Of course I do." He said. "So I guess you're my... um..." He got a little nervous toward the end of his sentence.  
"Girlfriend?" Rinoa finished for him.  
"Yeah." He smiled. "I like the sound of that." He held her close as they danced under the skylight. (I changed my mind) he thought. (I love Halloween.)  
  
~~Owari~~ 


End file.
